Graduates to land jobs faster in new master plan

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed

A new push to recruit more youths into middle-level colleges and prepare them to get jobs within six months of graduation has been hatched by the Ministry of Education.

The master-plan aims to raise training opportunities in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to 3.1 million, up from the current 180,000.

The plan will also see transition of graduates from college to employment within a record six months.

The Government will create one million enrollment vacancies annually for graduates from secondary and primary schools.

This will be achieved by expansion of all existing institutions, construction of new colleges in every constituency and equipping them with relevant industrial equipment, the document says.

Under the new plan, the Government will establish a voucher system of paying fees and set up more scholarship and bursary funds to cater for needy students.

Also to be established is a revolving loans’ fund for TVET students.

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said the strategy will include a new admission system that will allow for gradual progression of all learners from trade and craft courses to degree level.

Addressing an international meeting in Rwanda last week at which Kenya was awarded the chance to host the 2020 Einstein Forum in Nairobi, Amina said she will soon announce a placement system for students into TVET to ensure 100 per cent transition into skills training.

It is expected that some of the clear admission procedures will be known in under two weeks when Amina is expected to release results of the selection of the 2017 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination candidates into universities and colleges.

Although the exercise was initially planned to take place in Nairobi on Wednesday, it is understood Amina asked for more time to refine the selections to ensure a clear pathway for careers is provided for the candidates.

According to the draft plan document seen by the Sunday Standard, the reforms in the TVET education have not been all inclusive as to put the sector in a trajectory that it can steer the country’s social-economic development.

“Despite the ongoing reforms, were haven’t resolved, in a targeted and measurable approach, the actual size of skills mis-match with the needs of industry in the country and the region,” says Kevit Desai, TVET Principal Secretary.

Desai says development of relevant skills has been complicated by the rapidly changing needs of industry arising from innovations and technology.

“But we must put in place structures to situate the industry at the centre of development of relevant skills needed to implement the country’s Big Four Agenda,” he says.

“We acknowledge that it takes time to implement the TVET skills agenda but we shall begin excelling in the basics and scale up the successes.”

Challenges

According to the draft plan, TVET sub-sector has been facing challenges of low enrollment, lack of incentives of investors, inadequate supportive partnerships, among others.

To solve the unemployment challenges of about 10 million youths, the document says, the government would employ TVET through effective implementation of a competency-based education and training curriculum.

Under the mode of training, there will be a shift to emphasise on an outcome-based, demand-driven, industry-centred and flexible programme.

“Trainees will be required to demonstrate acquisition of skills before being awarded respective qualifications,” says the document.

The mode of training will provide relevant and high quality skills required not only by industry but also for job and wealth creation.

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